A sound equation: UWM mathematician works at the intersection of music and technology
Georg Essl (UWM Photo/Troye Fox)
Think about a rubber band and the many ways it can be twisted or contorted. Now, think about stretching it and plucking it with a finger, and the slight “boing” noise the action makes. This is the creation of sound, which is the basis of Georg Essl’s work. But exactly how the UWM mathematical sciences research professor creates sound might stretch the imagination. Essl’s work can involve complex algorithms and monitors displaying oscillating waves that look like they’re straight out of an old sci-fi TV series. It can also involve musical instruments, everything from electric guitars and keyboards to a simple Tibetan singing bowl, a belllike instrument played with a mallet to produce a deep, reverberating sound. He works in sound synthesis, a field within music technology at the intersection of music-making and computer science, math and engineering. The outcome is sound that has many possible applications, from being incorporated into a piece of music to serving as a sound effect for movies or video games. A recording artist might 4 • IN FOCUS • October, 2020
want to sample a synthesized sound for new music. A bigbudget sci-fi movie director might need a new “whoosh” for a flying spaceship. “I see my role more as an instrument builder,” Essl says. “I’m the one who builds the capability that others can use. I would rather have those ideas spread out and flourish.” Essl earned a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship in computer science. The Guggenheim is a prestigious award that recognizes prior achievement and exceptional promise of scholars, artists and writers. He was one of 168 fellows chosen from a field of nearly 3,000 applicants. The Guggenheim project focuses on using topology, which is related to geometry, to create algorithms for producing sounds, such as those heard when using electronic keyboards or synthesizers. Essl’s work has broad reach in popular culture, especially in the increasingly lucrative field of online video gaming with its countless virtual worlds. The Entertainment Software Association says the United States video game industry generated a record $43.4 billion in revenue in 2018, up 18 percent from the previous year.
